The Price of Stellar Spirits
by adri001
Summary: Lucy met a strange man on a mission who is on a hunt for her spirits and ultimately for her. Is Lucy willing to put her life at risk to save them? Will Natsu and her nakama be able to save her? Mostly LoLu and there is NaLu too.
1. Chapter 1

To all who bother reading, thank you and let me know what you think! (this was posted earlier, but I made some edits)

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><p><span>Chapter 1<span>

Natsu made a great partner. The fire mage was powerful and skilled, not to mention he had a heart of gold and put his heart into all his efforts. Lucy couldn't be more grateful that he tricked her into his team. A team with Natsu, Happy, Erza and Gray really did make one of the most powerful teams of Fairy Tail. They were also some of Lucy's closest friends (Levy-chan asides). Then again, that combination also made one of the most destructive teams in all of Fiore. Overall, after a mission, Lucy only ended up with half her expected income, since she had to cash most of it out as compensation for a wide array of damages.

As a result, in order to secure money for rent, Lucy developed a strategy where she would sneak off on a solo mission at least once a month, while the others were distracted with other things (Grey might get lured into a mission with Juvia, Erza might take on an S-class mission, Natsu might go fishing with Happy). Every time, she planned things out very carefully since Natsu in particular did not like her going off on her own (besides Happy always loved it when Lucy tagged along with them to go fishing). She took great pains not to be discovered, which was difficult since her teammates (mostly Natsu, Happy and Gray) barged into her house unannounced all the time. Natsu particularly had the nasty habit of coming and visiting her at night . . . and giving Lucy a mild heart attack when she would wake up with him in her bed. Why did Natsu feel the need to constantly invade her personal space? Who knew? Either way, she always made sure to plan her solo missions so that Natsu wouldn't find out until it was too late- or so that it was impossible for Natsu to come along. Once she came back safe and sound with a bagful of jewels she would return to her partner and her teammates with a big, bright smile.

Lucy knew that she was not at the same level as her teammates, but being a stellar spirit mage proved to be very effective in securing income. Her stellar spirits provided a wide range of skills that could be adapted to many different situations. She trusted her spirits completely and always fought alongside them. Gemini and Virgo helped in missions that required her to sneak around, find information, or retrieve items. Taurus, while occasionally distracted, did make a formidable adversary in combat; so did Caprico. And at all times Lucy could count on Loke- Leo the Lion. He was there for her always.

That is where Lucy found herself now- on her monthly solo mission. While the request started out as a simple assignment, it became a little more complicated than anticipated. But Lucy thought it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. She had to retrieve a missing artifact from a thief and apprehend the thief too. Lucy found the thief and the artifact, but she also discovered that he was no single individual, but rather a band of rogue mages. Lucy simply attacked the mages, who were hiding in an underground cave, with Sagittarius from a secret hide out dug out by Virgo. The arrows neutralized most of them, but the remaining mages eventually discovered Lucy and retaliated. Still, it was a piece of cake. Sagittarius went back and Lucy summoned Taurus and she brought out her whip. Lucy smiled to herself and gave Taurus a high-five: mission accomplished & rent secured.

Then, as Lucy was tying up the mages she heard applause echo through the dark empty cave and felt the dark slimy intent to kill surround her.

"Bravo, bravo," a man slowly appeared from the shadows. Lucy felt fear but held her ground. She focused on keeping her feet steady and her mind cool in order to think of the best way to deal with this man who oozed evil from every pore. She could tell he was dangerous, much more skilled than the others she had eliminated. Not to mention, she had already summoned three spirits and her magic was low. _Please Lucy,_ she thought to herself, _don't panic._

"Who are you?" she tried to keep her voice steady and hide her fear. He didn't answer her, but eyed her with a smile and intrigue.

"I can't believe a little shrimp with a set of tits was able to defeat this measly group of talentless bandits."

Okay, now Lucy's efforts to not panic were failing. She was squirming on the inside. The aura oozing from the man was unsettling and his smile was haunting.

"But I must say," the man took a lazy look about him, "Thank you for saving me the work to dealing with them. Imagine my surprise when I came to tackle down this scum, and I walk in on a little girl, who took care of everything! Truly extraordinary! Even thought it looks like they are all alive. That's to be expected when you let a little girl do the work of a mage."

He took a step forward; Lucy stepped backwards. His voice was cold and he spoke slowly, "Tell me, little girl, how did you do this? Are you going to finish them? Will you kill them?"

Another step forward and Lucy couldn't hold back a squeal of panic.

"What do you want? I'm just here on a job!"

"Oh so you were paid to take out my men?"

"Wait . . ." now Lucy was confused, "You were going to take out your own men?"

"They got caught didn't they? Who keeps trash like that?"

"How could you do that?" Lucy felt the indignation surge through her and it gave her strength. She made up her mind. This man was dangerous, but she was determined to defeat him. Either way, it seemed like she didn't have an option but to fight him. How could she stand down to a man who spoke of his own team as trash? He was going to kill them!

"What do you care, little girl?" The man noticed Lucy's resolve getting stronger, he saw the glint of determination in her eyes and found it amusing.

Another step forward, this time Lucy did not step back. Instead, as if he had read her thoughts, Leo appeared and positioned himself between the smiling man and his master. Lucy smiled at Loke. Inwardly she celebrated their close bond- his ability to appear without being summoned was rare and amazing. His strength always gave her confidence. Together Lucy knew they would defeat this odd man before her.

"Lucy." Loke was uncharacteristically serious, even for battle.

At the sight of Leo, the man's smile faltered from a fraction of a second. "Leo. What the hell are you doing alive? You were banished. You should be dead."

He didn't understand why, but this man gave Loke the chills, even more so since he seemed know about his past. Loke couldn't point his finger on it, he just knew this man was dangerous, especially for Lucy, and his job was to protect her at all cost.

Lucy was about to defend her spirit but was shocked when Loke spoke first. He ignored the man- his words were addressed to her. "Lucy, we need to leave now. This man is dangerous."

His lack of faith in her stung and hurt, but she remained defiant, "No! We can defeat him Loki. I need to complete my mission."

"Lucy, listen to me," his tone was demanding and unwavering, "not this time."

"Come on Loke, I believe in us."

Loke saw the slight hint of betrayal in Lucy's eyes. She silently pleaded with him to support her, to believe in her strength, in their strength together. It hurt, but he didn't feel regret, he just wanted Lucy away from this man now.

A chuckle brought Loke's attention back to the man. "This is really amusing . . . _Loke_." The venom dripped from his tone. "Why would the great lion back away from a fight?"

"We're not backing down! You just watch" Lucy yelled as she clenched her whip.

"No!" Loki didn't back down.

"If you don't want to help me, that's fine, I'll bring out Caprico! Go back!" The hurt took over Lucy's common sense (it's not like she had that much magic left).

The man's laughter got stronger, it boomed and echoed throughout the cave. Loke thought his options through for half a second and made his mind.

He looked at Lucy, "I'm sorry."

"Wh-" Lucy didn't get the chance to finish her thought. Loke jabbed her with a firm fist and knocked her out. He caught her swiftly, called Regulus and blinded the man. He used that second's distraction to run as fast as he could out the cave and get Lucy away from that man.

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><p>Lucy woke up in her bed, all she remembered was Loke's last words before he hit her. She had no clue how she got back to her apartment. The minor scratches and wounds from her fight with the mages at the cave were all bandaged up, but what hurt the most was her stomach where it had bruised purple, where Loke hit her.<p>

"Yo Luce! You're finally awake!"

Lucy jumped and squealed in surprise. In her half-awake state, she'd forgotten that Natsu more than likely would've broken into her apartment.

"Natsu! What are you doing here?"

"You're hurt! I'm watching over you, weirdo." Natsu's tone was matter-of-fact.

"Did you bring me back?"

"No, I just came to see if you had come back and I found you. Loke was watching over you."

"He was?"

"Uhhuh." Natsu watched her carefully. Lucy began to remember the events of the mission. She remembered the creepy man walking out the shadows and his foreboding presence. At first, she had been scared, but she was determined to fight him and win. Loke had come out- Lucy had thought that he had come to support her- but instead he told her to run away. His lack of faith in his own master, hurt her more than she could imagine.

"I see," Lucy said with a sad smile.

"Are you all right?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Doesn't seem like it to me," Natsu said although he wasn't worried any more, he trusted Loke to take care of Lucy- he was one of their nakama, after all. "But seriously, Luce, you shouldn't try to sneak of on missions on your own."

"Why not? I can handle them on my own, don't you trust me to come back safe and sound?"

"It's not that Luce." What a weird girl. Why would she worry about that?

"Of course, I trust you, you're amazing!" He grinned at her, "but aren't we a team, Luce?"

Lucy could feel his wide grin working it's magic on her, comforting her, reassuring her. It told her a lot of things he didn't say with his words.

"Besides, we are always stronger when we have our nakama close to us." His words echoed Lisanna's, what she told Lucy a long time ago on Tenrou Island.

"Princess!" Virgo interrupted them, "I came to check up on you. Loke was worried."

"Hi Virgo!" Lucy was a little startled by her spirit's sudden appearance. "I'm fine."

Virgo didn't seem reassured, her master seemed sad.

"Princess," Virgo went on, "Loke knows you must be very mad at him so he sent me. Loke also told me to tell you to please forgive him, he is sorry. He also said to trust him."

Suddenly, the hurt she felt earlier came back and tears began to well up in her eyes. Natsu began to panic when he saw Lucy cry- he had no clue as to what had happened.

"That's not fair!" Lucy cried, "How can he expect me to trust him, when he won't trust me? Aren't we supposed to be a team? Why do I always have to runaway-"

Lucy continued to cry while Virgo sat next to her and waited patiently for her sobs to calm down.

After a few minutes Virgo spoke again. "Please Princess, trust Loke. We will do everything in our power to fight along you and to protect you. That man was dangerous- he seemed to know about stellar spirits and about Loke's past. It wasn't because he didn't trust in your strength, but sometimes to fight certain enemies, you need your nakama with you to give you strength."

"Wait what happened?" Natsu began to worry again. Had Lucy really been in danger?

"I'll let you explain, I must return. Please be safe Princess." With those last words, Virgo disappeared into the spirit realm.

"Lucy," Natsu became unexpectedly serious, "What happened on your mission?"

"I guess," Lucy sighed, "I might as well tell you."

Lucy told him everything about the mission, about the thieves, about the strange man, the strong aura of killing intent, about Loke's interference. At the end of the story all Natsu did was smile at her.

"Geez Luce, don't cry over that!"

All she could do was give him a blank stare; her tears had dried out long ago.

"Don't be weirdo, you heard Virgo- it's not because you're not strong enough. Don't try to prove yourself, we all trust you."

"But what about those other mages, sure they were bad, but what if he killed them?"

Natsu became serious. In reality, he was grateful to Loke, if that man was evil enough to kill his comrades, he wouldn't hesitate killing Lucy. But now he understood the guilt that weighed on Lucy's shoulders- she wanted to save those mages- her heart was just that big.

"We don't know what happened," he finally spoke, "but it's not your fault."

"Would you runaway, knowing someone was going to slaughter people?"

"You can't think like that, Luce," Natsu tried to comfort Lucy. "But don't think about it. Come on, I told Happy we would meet you at the guild."

"All right," Lucy did her best to smile, "but let me get ready."

"Well hurry up!" Natsu began to pull her out of bed.

"I'm going, I'm going!" Lucy snapped. Natsu smiled, she was beginning to act like herself again.

"I'm taking a shower," Lucy grabbed some clothes and made her way to the bathroom. "And NO PEEKING!"

_Dammit!_ Natsu thought. Really did Lucy know him that well?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Cana Alberona had joined Fairy Tail a long time ago- long before Natsu, before Erza, even Gray. She loved having a good time and avoided bothersome things at all cost, which explained her drunken lifestyle. It kept her in a good mood and drowned her worries away into a hazy and far away subconscious. She didn't mind having fun at the expense of others- she never pretended to be above pranks, she was a member of Fair Tail-, but most of the time, her nakama were good enough company to keep her in a good mood. If not that, her guildmates could always give her a good fight. She also didn't mind being alone . . . most of the time.

She was a very capable mage with a very high success rate (much higher than Team Natsu, for example). Trouble with Cana rarely involved her missions. If and when she got in trouble, it usually had to do with excessive drinking (you could also blame her blatant disrespect towards some authority figures). She attributed her success to her intuitive and perceptive nature (perhaps it had to do with her magic) and her very cunning personality.

She mostly worked alone although Loke teamed up with her quite a bit before he returned to the Spirit World. She was one of the few who didn't mind his shameless womanizing; she enjoyed messing around with the more gullible girls of his infamous fanclub. He could also hold his own when it came to liquor. Even though, now that she thought about it, maybe his tolerance had to do with the fact that he wasn't human. All in all, they were two souls who loved to live in a world of pleasure, fun and games (and sometimes romance, too).

Because they were so alike, they understood each other surprisingly well. They knew that they hid from their problems with booze and women even if they never spoke about it. Loke knew Cana was looking for someone long before every one found out about Gildarts. He didn't know the specifics, but he understood she was harder on herself than most. Likewise, Cana knew from the moment Loke stepped through the guild's door that he was running from his past. She could tell the difference between a genuine Loke smile- the one he gave when he was happy, surrounded by his nakama- and ones he often used to mask his suffering. She perceived this long before she learned about his past with Karen. After Lucy rescued him, she didn't see Loke very often, but then again- she also didn't see that fake smile. Instead, she just saw his normal mischievous smile.

Cana could also tell when he was serious. When he said things as "my princess" and all the other corny mumbo-jumbo he spoke to countless girls, it was a joke. But Cana understood loud and clear that when it came to Lucy, Loke was dead serious. Cana was probably the only one who knew this. To Loke, Lucy truly was his princess and he would put her above all things. He would always put her life above all things, even his own. Sure, he might ignore her here and there, but he would show up when he was needed, whether she called him or not. And he would take all actions necessary to ensure her safety, whether it meant hurting Lucy's feelings or not. In the end, for Loke a living and breathing angry Lucy was much better than a cold Lucy underground.

Perceptive as ever, Cana sensed Lucy's tenseness when she showed up at the guild after her failed mission. She just shrugged it off and took another swig of her beer. _If any one knows how to pick themselves up_, Cana thought, _it's Lucy- so there's no point to in worrying over it_. She was right, too. Like Natsu, Lucy had a disturbingly positive attitude.

Sure enough, when Lucy showed up at the guild a few days later to find Loke knocking a few back, Cana could tell that the tenseness had dissipated. Sure Lucy frowned, humphed and gave Loke the cold shoulder but, all in all, she was just putting up an act.

It was funny, too. The guild provided the best entertainment for Cana.

True to his nature, Loke beamed and smiled with his arms wide open when he saw her, "Good morning, Princess!"

But Lucy just turned the other way with a "hmph!"

"Oh you just got burned!" Gray laughed.

"Ugh," Loke rolled his eyes, "you're as tactful as ever. I really don't need you to get on my case, not when you're as clueless as you are."

"Whatever, man," Gray laughed, "I ain't clueless."

"Of course not."

"Natsu's clueless, not me."

"You're just as bad."

"Hey don't put us on the same level!"

Naturally, Loke purposely got Gray riled up so that he would yell and make himself heard across the guild.

"You're right, you might be worse."

"Okay, that's it! How dare you say I'm worse than that birdbrain-"

"HEY! WHO ARE YOU CALLING BIRDBRAIN, YOU DUMBASS POPSICLE!"

_And sweet success! _Loke smiled to himself. Loke really did think Gray was clueless, though. How does someone just deal with Juvia like that?

As soon as Natsu came into play, Gray completely forgot about his conversation with Loke and started swinging his fists. Really, they were both very simple minded at times.

"Good one!" Cana, who saw and understood everything, laughed.

Loke high-fived his former partner in crime, "Really, it's too easy to get those two to play into your hands."

"They are idiots after all."

"Now if only it were that easy with Lucy . . ."

"Don't stress over it, she's fine with you now, just trying to give you a hard time."

"Oh, really? Why is she trying to be difficult?"

"It's how we girls are, you should know."

"So true, I might as well join you, since it seems like I'll probably need a few more. Hey Mira!"

Lucy knew she would forgive Loke, after all, Virgo was right- she needed to trust her spirits. On Tenrou Island, she did not want to leave Loke to fight on his own, she would not have been able to forgive herself if Loke had gotten hurt while she abandoned him to fight on his own. In the end, once she learned the details about Zoldeo she understood. Had it not been for Loke perhaps she would not have met Caprico.

She was ready to forgive him, but that didn't mean that she was going to go easy on him. So she pretended to be mad at him. Yes, it was petty, but a little bit of pettiness didn't hurt anyone (too much). It didn't matter because she couldn't keep Loke away. When Lucy found Loke at the guild chatting with Gray and Cana at the bar her eyes almost popped out in surprise (really how could he just come and go without being summoned? Loke really was a strong spirit). It took all her effort to keep up the façade of indifference.

Loke acted like it bothered him, but he didn't mind Lucy's antics. He even found them endearing. Cana didn't know what he did to piss off Lucy, but she knew Loke didn't care if Lucy hated him- if it meant she was safe. But Loke hadn't come to the guild this morning to talk to Lucy, he came to talk with Gray. He had this conversation bright and early in the morning, long before Lucy arrived. It was better that way. Now all he had to do is get Lucy talking to him, if that didn't work, at least enjoy the good company of the guild.

"So," Cana got serious now that Gray left the table, "Is it really that bad that Lucy can't go on missions by herself?"

"I don't know. But my instinct tells me she shouldn't be out on her own. It would be better if she was with Gray or Natsu, preferably Erza."

"Maybe you're worrying too much, she's strong," Cana chugged her beer, "and ever better than that, she's smart. Unlike those two."

They turned at the duo that were making a wreck of the outside patio with their fight.

"Of course, she's strong," Loke scoffed, "believe me, I know her strength much better than she. A spirit's strength is based on the strength of their owners. It's not that, I don't know what it is . . ."

Cana eyed him carefully. Loke usually doesn't worry like this.

"This guy seemed to be really interested in her. Had he wanted to kill her, he would've- or at least tried. But he didn't- this guy wasn't out looking for a fight, he wanted information. The way he was looking at her . . . it wasn't right."

"Most men look at Lucy in an inappropriate way."

"No it wasn't just that. He was deliberately letting out his dark aura for her to feel. I'm not even sure that meeting was coincidental."

"Hmm. Want me to talk to her?"

"You don't have to, didn't you just say it already? She's not mad anymore?"

"She's not, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have a talk. Especially if she's still in danger."

"Nah, she'll talk when she's ready. As long as she has me, she will be fine." Now Loke changed the topic, "come on, I bet that I can down this beer faster than you."

"Yeah right," Cana smirked and the two downed their beers and stopped talking about serious things.

A few pints later, Cana watched as Loke got up and made rounds to say good-bye. Lucy pretended not to pay attention, but Cana's keen eye caught a trace of disappointment in Lucy's face. By some miracle Gray and Natsu's fight had ended.

"Farewell, my princess!" Loke called out to Lucy and with a poof he was gone.

Lucy sighed and walked up to the request board. It was about time to pick out a mission to pay for rent.

"Great!" Natsu cried out, suddenly next to Lucy, "Let's pick a fun mission!"

"No Natsu," Lucy replied, "I'm doing this next mission on my own."

"Sorry no can do," Gray popped up right next to Lucy making her jump in the air with surprise.

"Argh! Don't sneak up on people like that!"

"Then you should be more perceptive," Gray sneered.

"Whatever, I'm doing this on my own, you can't stop me!" Lucy huffed.

"Fine, choose your mission on your own and you can keep the reward, but I'm going with you and you can't stop me." Gray answered coolly.

"Yeah me too!" Natsu cried! "We're on a team together! You can't ditch Happy and me!"

Lucy let out a long sigh of defeat.

"Hey, don't look so down," Cana decided to step in. She could be nice and help her friends after all.

"I'm fine." Lucy smiled, but Cana knew it was forced.

"Relax," Cana smiled back, "Sit down and have a beer with me."

Before Lucy could object, Cana was already calling out to Mira.

"Now, Lucy," Cana took a sip of her drink, "What's the big deal? We all know you are strong, so why do you always feel like you need to prove yourself?"

"I didn't say that-" Lucy tried to reply, but Cana gave a look that simply said _bullshit_.

"Well . . ." Lucy tried to think why she was upset to begin with. It seemed very silly to make such a big deal when all Loke did was try to help her.

"Normally, I don't feel like that- I mean, I know have gotten very strong since I joined the guild and I can get stronger still. It's just that- last mission, I knew that I could have done something, I should have. This man . . . he was . . ."

"Lucy," Cana took another swig. She spoke with a laidback tone, but Lucy understood she was serious, "That man was evil. That's the word. When we go against enemies like that, we don't do it alone. We have our nakama right next to us, so don't be stupid and stop pouting. Now Loke is going to give you all the time in the world and is waiting patiently. Both you and I know you aren't mad at him, so go talk to him."

Lucy blinked. She didn't know how to react to a serious Cana- it was such a rare occurrence. She took a drink instead.

"Oh and by the way," Cana added, "I would take Gray's offer on letting you keep the entire reward!" And now Cana reverted back to being the fun, druken and cunning card mage.

"Cana! That's wrong!"

The girls enjoyed their drinks while Natsu and Gray fought over what mission they would choose. The next day, Cana would go away on a mission she picked earlier and Team Natsu would be off too.

That morning when Loke spoke to Gray he had one important message: never, under any circumstance, should Lucy go off on her own. As Loke's best friend, Gray understood the message and made sure that Natsu did too. Lucy was in danger and it wasn't a joke. This man would definately pursue her.

Thanks for reading! What do you think about it?


	3. Chapter 3

So . . . it's been a while. Sorry! I like to keep things cannon, but I'm slowly coming to terms with the fact this story wont be cannon, since I started the plot before the tournament arc. I can't reconcile the two. Especially this last chapt that came out- who knows what Mashima is planning. I hope you will still read though!

Thanks to my reviewers! :D Also, I think this chap. might be a bit on the corny fluffy side, dunno. Please let me know what you think. I'm working on the next chapt. It'll have a bit of POV from the Raijinshuu (mostly Bixlow)- as per request of Neko-Tiara, please check out her page and stories.

Also, I want to incorporate diff. perspectives of of Fairy Tail members, so if you have requests on who you would like included in the story, let me know!

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><p><span>Chapter 3<span>

In Fairy Tail, when something big happened, shit goes down all of a sudden. For example, one day every one was happy and planning a festival, then Laxus tried to take over the guild, gave the old man a heart attack, almost blew up all of Magnolia, and then got kicked out. All because he had daddy issues . . . or granddaddy issues. Not long afterwards, the festival continued with booming fireworks and grand displays of magic, smiles and joy. Who would have guessed that only a day earlier so many people's lives were at risk? So it was weird when shit went down again. It was unexpected, but even though it should have been anticipated.

After a couple of months, mostly every one had forgotten the whole incident with Loke, Lucy and her failed mission. Things went back to normal . . . except for certain changes, the type of natural unavoidable changes of life.

For example, although Natsu and Lucy were always close, now they were closer than ever. To every one the sight of the two together seemed as natural as the sky is blue and the grass green. The reason behind this was simple. Some one had threatened Lucy and she had fought with Loke, her cherished stellar spirit. Naturally, as her friend he stayed close to comfort her. And to keep her safe (he and Gray both received strict orders from Loke). He'd forgotten why he insisted on being so close to her, but it wasn't an unwelcome change. He got so accustomed to that closeness that the notion of distancing himself from Lucy didn't sit well with Natsu. Besides, it seemed like Lucy was slowly becoming more tolerant of his intrusions on her home (it's not like he was the only one). And Lucy couldn't deny that Natsu's impulsive, wild and sometimes sweet antics brought a smile to her face.

There were other subtle changes. Loke appeared less frequently. Perhaps a few people noticed Loke's absences, but they didn't think too much of it. What business did a spirit have in the human world when he wasn't summoned for a job, anyways? Most of the guild was focused on other things- preparing for next year's tournament, hating Sabertooth, jobs, denying rivalries with Lyon over Juvia, getting money to pay rent, restoring the old headquarters, etc.

Only a few people noticed Loke's absence because he didn't drop by to visit very often in the first place. For some one who never shuts up about his love for Lucy, he was notoriously MIA. Gray was one of the few people who noticed- only because Loke was one of his buds. All in good company- he was always willing to knock back a couple of drinks, share a handful of jokes, and every now and then, he put up a good fight. Couldn't be helped. Sometimes fighting with Natsu got boring. Besides, when Gray fought with Natsu, he fought with a purpose, a mission, you know, to prove he was much better than an outrageously strong dumbass. With Loke, a few punches- it was just for fun. Oh, he also liked how Lucy and Juvia squealed and begged for them to stop. Naturally, Lucy noticed his absences too. It was only natural when they shared the bond of mage and spirit.

Despite his infrequent visits, Loke (unlike the rest of the guild) was only focused on just one thing: Lucy. He didn't forget about the foreboding incident in a dark cave several months ago. He didn't forget about Lucy crying. And he definitely didn't forget about their reconciliation that eventually followed afterwards. And it took a _long_ time, it seemed to him, for that talk to happen.

Cana had told him to go and talk to her, and he should've followed her advice. Cana was almost always right when it came to anything- he found it a little disturbing, a drunk shouldn't be the one who's always right. Loke had been confident that Lucy would reach out to him. He waited patiently in the spirit world and did everything to keep himself occupied. He went out drinking, he went out with a girl everyday, sometimes he went out with more than one, he got into fights with the most fearsome spirits in the realm. He did everything a good healthy lion would do, and still no news from Lucy. When he finally heard her calling for him, he could feel the nervousness in her heart. _Why would she be nervous?_ Loke wondered for a fraction of a second. _Oh, well_. He didn't care. The thought of finally seeing Lucy left him elated. As soon as he crossed the gate, he scooped her into his arms as he cried about how much he'd missed her.

And Lucy . . . well, Lucy kicked and flailed her arms screaming that she summoned him to fight the enemy, not to harass her. But Loke didn't care, he could tell the enemies were numerous but not very strong. Besides, Gray and Natsu were already fighting. It was rare for Lucy to summon him when her opponents were so weak . . . she usually only summoned him in extremely difficult situations (he did use up a lot of her magic). It could only mean that Lucy used this mission as an excuse to call him. As he realized this, he tightened his grip on her, "Oh, princess, you've missed me, too! I'm so happy!"

"Argh!" she shrieked, "All right, all right, just knock them out already!"

"Your wish . . ." Loke put his master down as a mischievous smile crept over his face, "is my command."

His reunion with Lucy made adrenaline rush through him and a lion loved nothing more than a good brawl (. . . okay, women, too). He cracked his knuckles and jumped into the mayhem. Lucy and her whip followed.

Sometimes Lucy wondered at how Leo the Lion differed so much from his human mask, Loke the Fairy Tail mage. Leo was so regal and cool, even when corny pick-up lines spewed out of his mouth. Loke, on the other hand, always acted like a laid-back, womanizing, hooligan who was too eager to jump into fights. They looked and fought differently. Countless times, Lucy found herself exasperated with Loke when he came to the guild- for drinking, fighting, for having that gall to bring girls to the guild while he professed his love to her right in front of them. She wasn't jealous of the girls, but how could he have so little shame in treating her like the rest of them! She held his key, their bond was not ordinary . . . Yes, she usually preferred him as Leo. At the very least, as Leo he was a little serious. When he fought he was intimidating with his crisp suit, cold demeanor, and his wild lion's mane.

But when they finally found themselves alone, Lucy wished for that foolish wide grin of his and his fur lined jacket. Instead, in front of her stood serious Leo. All his crazy behavior from their initial reunion and his fight with the enemy was gone.

To Loke's disappointment, the fight didn't take long. Perhaps it was for the better. Too much time had passed since he'd hurt his owner. He was sure that at the moment, Lucy thought he'd turned against her. He didn't regret it, but it was time to get closure. He felt Lucy's heart, it was filled with unease. So he asked Gray and Natsu to turn in the guys and get the money. Both of them, dense as always, argued and fought, but Loke knew how to deal with them (or trick them). Now he looked at his owner, who had risked her own life and challenged the spirit world just to save him.

"Lucy," Leo said in a tone too solemn for her liking, "I can feel you better than I can feel my own heart beat. Why would a master be scared of her spirits, especially when they love her so much?"

Lucy didn't know what to say. She summoned him so that she could apologize for her childish behavior. It was so embarrassing! She felt ashamed, and she'd hurt Loke's feelings. Before she knew it, the tears began to stream down her eyes and Leo wrapped his arms around her.

"Loke," she tried to stop crying, "I'm sorry. I've been so stupid. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings!"

"Don't be foolish," Loke pulled away so he could look at her in the eyes. "You haven't hurt me. But I hurt you and you had every right to be angry. I'm the one who needs to apologize."

The tears kept streaming down her face, but she just pulled him close again so that she could lean on him as she let herself grow happy again. Loke wasn't angry with her for ignoring him, for letting pettiness go overboard. A lion might act foolish, but it was just an act. She understood now that Leo was much more mature than he let on. Now she just needed to learn and trust him more fully.

In retrospect, perhaps it wasn't much of a talk, but they didn't need a lot of words to reach an understanding. The curious thing about spirit mages was the contract they made with their spirits. The root of all magic comes from the heart, and the contract between mages are spirits are pacts of the heart. Unlike other magic users, stellar spirit mages create a link between their own heart and their spirit's. When such a strong bond exists, who needs trifling words to understand each other? _No_. Loke thought. In that moment, he felt the enormity of Lucy's heart, the stellar spirit mage who loves and is loved by her spirits. He would not forget it.

And she could feel his, too.

Yes, it was true, now Loke appeared by guild less frequently, but Lucy didn't mind. He wasn't upset with her. Most importantly, he trusted her and she trusted him. And several months passed, and the incident from the cave became a far away memory in the back of her mind.

Until one day, in a coastal town of Fiore, only a few train stops away from Hargeon, she and Gray stepped into a magic store. Gray wasn't really interested, but Natsu was still puking his guts from the train ride and Erza insisted on taking care of him. Lucy hadn't insisted on Gray coming along, but Gray had taken Loke's message seriously and volunteered to go with her. The minute they stepped through the doors, Gray could see hearts of infatuation popping out of her eyes. Columns and mountains of magical trinkets, charms, books and bottled potions covered the walls- it was a wizard nerd's wonderland. _Shit, we're going to be here forver,_ Gray thought. He instantaly regretted being such a good and caring friend as he tried moving through the cluttered aisles without tripping over something. Lucy couldn't help her surprise, she wasn't expecting much. Coastal towns usually don't have a lot of mage residents and this town didn't even have a guild. The store in Hargeon barely had anything useful and it was a much larger town and many mages passed through that town. How odd for this tiny place to have a cove with such an abundance of magical supplies. Lucy felt as if she'd discovered a hidden treasure. The store had several keys for canis minor, although those were the only keys it had. She saw love potions, anti-aging charms, and three bottles with different types of fire. In the far corner, she saw a bowl with several butterflies fluttering frantically and helplessly trying to get out. Under it, an inscription read 'Flutterby Pixie Dust- for levitation abilities and other magical purposes'. Lucy had heard of them before, they were extremely rare and difficult to find. They were clever and often malicious creatures that eluded being trapped. As she looked closer she could see that they butterflies did not look butterflies at all, but rather more like tiny, tiny fairies with very mean faces. It remained her of Fairy Tail and a momentary wave of sadness swept through her. The didn't hesitate in glaring and hissing at her. If she let them out, no doubt they little creatures would unleash their fury on her and all humans nearby. Nevertheless, seeing them caged up and fighting seemed so wrong . . . it was cruel. _How did a store come by these?_

"Ahh! The devilish pixies have caught your eye!"

Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin. When she'd entered, she'd only seen a sleeping clerk on the counter. Otherwise, the store seemed empty. But now this man appeared suddenly right next to her, popping out of the shadows. He had a wide smile, large brown eyes, a bushy beard and wore a dark faded red cloak. He seemed friendly, but this man felt odd. A familiar sense of wariness swept over Lucy.

"My deepest apologies, it seems I have startled the young lady."

Suddenly, Lucy felt embarrassed as she realized she'd been blatantly eyeing the man. "Oh, I'm sorry. I just didn't realize there were other people in the store. You took me by surprise." She bowed to apologize.

The man let out a big hearty laugh, "Of course you didn't see me! I just came in!"

Now, Lucy's jaw dropped to the ground. This man was blatantly laughing at her.

"But, I am sorry pretty _girl_. But I am here to buy these pixies. They just came in last night, old man Hormal told me he'd put them aside just for me. You might not know this, little girl, but those damn bugs are really hard to get your hands on. I will not let some one else have them, no matter how pretty they are."

"Oh no! I don't want them, I was just looking. That's all." Lucy held up her hands in compliance even though the man kept a good-natured smile plastered to his face. He didn't seem threatening or dangerous at all.

Again, a deep laugh boomed out of him. "What a nice girl! Now I feel bad. Tell you what, perhaps we can make a trade. I'll give you one, if you have anything that interests me!"

"No, no, no!" Lucy stammered. "It's okay, really. I don't have any need of them, besides, I don't have anything to trade."

"That's not true. Come on! Let's make a deal! I can tell you're a mage. Don't be modest. I'm sure a mage must have something that might be worth one of these treacherous bugs."

"I'm sorry. I don't have anything." The man began to annoy her so she turned to leave. "I'm sorry. I have to go now."

She didn't pay any mind to the familiar clink her keys made as she turned to find Gray. She didn't see the man's eyes narrow in recognition. It was hard to remember that over seven years had passed while they had been under Mavis's spell and so many, many things had changed during that time. Such as the death of her estranged father and the dwindling number of spirit mages. Almost none. But she'd forgotten those details, she just wanted to find Gray and leave. The man made her uneasy.

"Gray!" she called out.

"What?" he looked up from the book he was browsing, it was about erotic magic. When he realized Lucy was right behind he tried to hide the book, but he couldn't hide his beet red face. Lucy's shocked blank face didn't help.

"Umm . . . Gray?"

"It's not what you think!"

"Put on clothes!"

"WHAA?" Gray looked down only to realize he was butt naked. _How did that happen?_ He scurried through the floor trying to find his clothes. While he searched for his clothes, Lucy tried to find what book he was looking at. Must've been pretty embarrassing. It never hurt to have dirt on Gray. Before she could open it, though, the bushy bearded man was next to her once again.

"Pretty girl!"

"WAHH!" she squealed as she dropped Gray's book and tried to kick it behind her. She hoped he didn't notice the dirty book.

The man gave her an odd look. "Hmm. You sure startle easily."

"Ahaha," Lucy gave a nervous laugh. "I guess so."

And the man laughed once more. "It's okay. I can be quite a scary man sometimes." The huge smile never left his face, but she could tell the words were real. She wished Gray would hurry so they could leave.

"I couldn't help but notice that you have some keys. May I ask, might those be stellar spirit keys?"

"Umm, yeah, they are." Lucy's eyes were scanning the floor, searching for Gray.

"Great!" he gave her a pat on the back. He must've not realized his strength because he nearly knocked her to the floor. Either way, he didn't seem to notice Lucy clinging to the countertop as she tried to regain her balance.

"Stellar spirit keys are mighty wonderful things. I will gladly trade one of my bugs for a key!"

Lucy felt cold and anger rush through her. Any one after her keys was a threat, so instead of freaking out like she normally would, she kept her composure. "I'm sorry, sir. I'm not interested."

"Oh, but pretty girl. I saw the wonder in your eyes. I know you would love these creatures, they're the best tool for a guilded mage. I'll even give you two! So you can breed them. They will make Fairy Tail the most wonderful guild of all Fiore!"

"No. She's not interested." Gray spoke up. It seemed like he finally found his clothes. "And Fairy Tail is already the best guild. We don't need bugs for that."

"Ah! Little girl, this must be your friend!" the man laughed, not fazed by Gray's icy demeanor. "He is right indeed. We all saw the magnificence of the guild this past tournament. Like a phoenix rising from it's ashes. How Fairy Tail proved it's power! But a guild can grow mightier still. These creatures are very, very powerful, not to be underestimated."

"I understand," Lucy said. "But I'm not interested. I don't want caged things, held by force. It wouldn't feel right."

"And does a spirit mage not force her spirits to do her bidding? Are they not slaves to their masters? You will consent to own a spirit, treat them as things, at best as pets and inferior beings," he laughed, "but you will not stoop so low to own a pixie? Where is the sense in that?"

Lucy felt enraged, but she tried her best to control her emotions. This man was not her friend, she had to be strong. "My spirits and I have a contract. It cannot be broken. I will not betray them and hand them over to a stranger."

"Hohoho!" He clapped her on the back again and sent her reeling into a scowling Gray. "I understand, I understand. Don't get mad. All I am trying to say, is please, don't judge this humble man for seeking out the flutterby pixie dust. I am just an lonely old man looking for rare precious things to fill his empty heart. And these are some of the rarest and most precious of them all. Perhaps, I was trying to be friendly by sharing my treasure by offering you a trade. A bargain. But it seems I am too nice. Perhaps, I might find a spirit key somewhere else. If one knows how to look, they might not be too hard to obtain."

Both Gray and Lucy understood the threat. To Lucy it felt so familiar. Had she met this man a long time ago? No, she was certain. She'd never seen this man before.

"HEY!" The clerk, the old man Hormal had apparently woken up, and was livid. "You naked punks get out of my store!" Lucy looked over and saw that Gray had already gotten rid of his shirt and was in the process of taking of his pants.

"GRAY!" she screamed.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" they both called as they ran from the store while the clerk screamed and bemoaned the state of this generation's youth. Indecent, immoral, good-for-nothing pests.

She understood now. Loke kept himself away from the human world, because he would attract unwanted attention. Acnologia had brought on a new age in the world of magic. It wasn't like before, when spirit mages were not so rare. But this realization came a little too late. The events that followed fell on her like flurry of massive storms.

* * *

><p>Thnx for reading!<p> 


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